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- Departure of CFO (new) — The Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer departed the company for personal reasons.
Warner Music CFO and COO Armin Zerza steps down for personal reasons; search underway
Filed July 31, 2026 · Period ending July 31, 2026 · ~1 min read
Key Changes
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CFO and COO Armin Zerza stepped down immediately for personal reasons, effective July 31, 2026. He will remain available through fiscal year-end to support transition. The company has commenced a search for a permanent CFO.
Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Compensation verify on EDGAR → -
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Louis Dickler, Senior Vice President, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since October 2011, appointed Acting CFO. He previously served as Acting CFO in 2021-2022 during another CFO's medical leave.
Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Compensation verify on EDGAR → -
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Tom Corson, Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records since January 2018, promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the entire company. He will continue Warner Records duties during a transition period.
Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Compensation verify on EDGAR →
Summary
Warner Music Group's CFO and COO Armin Zerza stepped down immediately on July 31, 2026, for personal reasons, creating a leadership transition at the top of the finance and operations functions. While Zerza will remain available through fiscal year-end to support the handoff, the dual-role departure introduces execution risk during the search for a permanent CFO.
The company moved quickly to fill both positions: Louis Dickler, who has served as Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer since 2011 and previously acted as CFO in 2021-2022, takes the Acting CFO role; Tom Corson, Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records since 2018, steps up to company-level COO.
For investors, the immediate concern is continuity in financial reporting and operational oversight during the transition. Dickler's prior acting stint and 15-year tenure provide some reassurance on the finance side, but the search timeline for a permanent CFO remains uncertain. Corson's promotion from a successful label role to enterprise-wide operations (global marketing, merchandising, direct-to-consumer, supply chain) is a vote of confidence in his track record, though he will juggle dual responsibilities during a transition period. The filing characterizes the departure as personal rather than performance-related, but any unplanned C-suite exit warrants attention to execution continuity and the quality of the permanent replacement.
Section-by-Section Diff
Event · Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Compensation
Item 5.02 — Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Compensation filed; see Key Changes for terms.
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
On July 31, 2026, Armin Zerza stepped down for personal reasons as Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer of Warner Music Group Corp. (the “Company”). The Company has commenced a search for a new Chief Financial Officer.
Armin Zerza stepped down from both the CFO and COO roles for personal reasons. The company has begun searching for a permanent CFO replacement. The dual-role departure creates leadership transition risk during the search period.
Added in current filing · verify on EDGAR →
In connection with Mr. Zerza’s departure, the Company appointed Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records, Tom Corson, to serve as the Company’s Chief Operating Officer, effective July 31, 2026. Mr. Corson will also continue to serve as Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records for a transition period. Mr. Corson, age 66, has served as Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records since January 2018.
Tom Corson, who has served as Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records since January 2018, was appointed to the company-level Chief Operating Officer role. He will continue his Warner Records responsibilities during a transition period. Corson has extensive music industry experience including nearly 18 years at RCA Music Group where he rose to President & COO.
Event · Exhibit 99.1
Added in current filing · view on EDGAR →
In the interim, SVP, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, Lou Dickler, a deeply respected finance leader within the organization, has been appointed Acting CFO. Dickler, who has previously served in this capacity, brings extensive financial expertise and deep knowledge of WMG’s operations, ensuring continuity and stability across the company’s financial operations.
Lou Dickler, currently SVP, Global Controller and Chief Accounting Officer, has been appointed Acting CFO during the search for a permanent replacement. Dickler has previously served as Acting CFO and brings extensive financial expertise and deep knowledge of WMG's operations, which should provide continuity during the transition period.
Event · Exhibit 99.2
Added in current filing · view on EDGAR →
Warner Music Group (Nasdaq: WMG) today announced that Warner Records Co-Chairman and COO Tom Corson is promoted to Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the entire organization, reporting directly to WMG CEO Robert Kyncl.
Tom Corson, previously Co-Chairman and COO of Warner Records (a label within WMG), has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the entire Warner Music Group corporation. He will now oversee global marketing, merchandising, direct-to-consumer, supply chain, and other operations across the company while continuing at Warner Records during a transitional period.
Added in current filing · view on EDGAR →
Corson will now apply his deep domain expertise and operational rigor across the company, bringing global marketing, merch, D2C, supply chain and more under his purview, while continuing to drive strong momentum at Warner Records alongside Co-Chairman and CEO Aaron Bay-Schuck for a transitional period.
The promotion expands Corson's responsibilities from a single label to company-wide operations including global marketing, merchandising, direct-to-consumer channels, and supply chain. He will maintain dual responsibilities during a transition period, continuing to work with Co-Chairman Aaron Bay-Schuck at Warner Records.
Show 1 minor / wording change
Added in current filing · view on EDGAR →
Under Corson and Bay Schuck, the label has transformed into a powerhouse, gaining significant market share and delivering global chart-topping success for a wide range of marquee and breakout talent such as Madonna, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Dua Lipa, Zach Bryan, Benson Boone, Michael Bublé, Teddy Swims, Linkin Park, Cody Johnson, and Sombr.
The filing highlights Corson's successful tenure at Warner Records since 2018, where the label gained market share and achieved commercial success with major artists. This track record provides context for the promotion to a broader operational role across the entire company.
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Figures/quotes linked to EDGAR · Narrative written by AI · Aug 6, 2026 · How we verify